Beyond the Atmosphere: NASA’s Jeanette Epps Reveals the Secrets of Human Connection and High-Stakes Teamwork in the World’s Most Extreme Environments
- Matheus Hooks/ Editor-In-Chief
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
What does it truly take to live and work where the margin for error is zero? For Dr. Jeanette Epps, a NASA astronaut, aerospace engineer, and former CIA technical intelligence officer, the answer isn’t just found in technical manuals; it is found in the strength of human connection. After spending 235 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Jeanette Epps is sharing the orbital perspective on teamwork, resilience, and the art of staying comfortable being slightly uncomfortable.
Epps’ journey to the stars began on Kennedy Street in Syracuse, New York, but her preparation for the ISS took her to the depths of the Earth. From living underwater for nine days during NASA’s NEEMO mission to spending five days in the treacherous cave systems of Slovenia, she has mastered the psychological and physical demands of extreme isolation.
"You learn a lot about yourself in these trials," Jeanette notes, reflecting on her time submerged 50 feet underwater at two and a half times atmospheric pressure. "How do you help your crewmate or teammate? How do you stay calm and safe? It’s about building the muscle memory for the emergency of the day".
In an interview, Epps described the surreal transition to weightlessness, comparing it to the neutral buoyancy of scuba diving. Yet, beyond the physical sensations, she emphasizes the profound shift in perspective–the overview effect–that comes from seeing a borderless Earth. "Every time I looked out the window, I thought: We are not taking care of each other," she recalls. "We really need to be good to our fellow humankind".
As the space sector moves toward a trillion-dollar industry with the Artemis program and commercial flight, Dr. Epps views the Moon as an essential "engineering test bed" for Mars. However, she maintains that the most critical lesson for any mission, whether in orbit or in a boardroom, is that no one makes it to orbit alone.
Jeanette Epps is now available for keynote addresses and interactive workshops, where she distills these high-stakes lessons into actionable strategies for leadership, grit, and collective success. Her mission remains clear: to ignite curiosity and demonstrate that through unity, we can reach beyond any boundary.
